


October

by kogain (vaderdown)



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-13
Updated: 2018-10-13
Packaged: 2019-08-01 07:46:05
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,171
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16280486
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vaderdown/pseuds/kogain
Summary: Keith gets surgery and his meds leave him loopy and emotional.Shiro can't make it to take care of him.Who does Shiro place in charge of caring for his brother?Lance.





	October

            “I don’t know, Shiro,” says Lance, picking up his car keys. “Are you sure he won’t, like, throw a fit when he sees me instead of you?”

            _“You’ll be fine, Lance,”_ says Shiro over the phone. _“You know I’d go if I could.”_

            “Yeah, I know,” sighs Lance, throwing a water bottle into his backpack, shoes in hand. “You’re usually right about things that’re. . . Well, most things, actually.”

            _“I won’t argue with you there,”_ says Shiro. _“Besides, he’ll be on some pretty heavy drugs for the pain. He probably won’t even wake up. Just promise you’ll check up on him for me, all right?”_

            “Yeah, yeah, you got me! I promise,” says Lance, fumbling with the phone between his ear and his shoulder in a rush to heat up some lunch. “I’m leaving right now, ‘kay?”

            _“Lance, I can hear the microwave. Clearly.”_

            “Wh-what?” says Lance, walking to the other side of the kitchen, “Nah, that’s- that’s just my, uh, car. . . beep-y sound?”

            _“Is that a question?”_ teases Shiro.

            Lance sighs, taking his food out of the microwave in defeat. Shiro chuckles.

            “ _Wook, Shiwo_ ,” says Lance, mouth full, “I _mithed wunch_ , okay?”

            _“You_ what? _”_ asks Shiro through poorly-stifled laughter.

            “I’ll eat while I drive, okay? Sheesh!”

            _“All right,”_ says Shiro cheerfully, _“Be safe. And thanks again, Lance.”_

-

            Lance nervously pushes through the hospital doors, slightly in awe of the bustling crowd inside. Between staff and people in the waiting room, the reception area is flooded. Once he charmingly informs the receptionist of his destination, and after showing her some ID, he finds himself standing outside the room’s door, hesitant.

            “Is something wrong, sir?” asks a passing nurse.

            “Oh, no, no. I’m just-” Lance looks around, then points to the number on the door, “Just making sure it’s the right room!” He says a bit too loudly, earning him a strange look.

            “Okay. . .” Says the nurse before walking away.

            Lance sighs deeply, letting his forehead lightly thump against the door.

            _“Hello?”_ asks a voice from inside, and before Lance has time to be confused, the door opens and almost causes him to come crashing to the ground.

            A _(very pretty)_ nurse stands before him, unimpressed.

            “Can I help you?”

            “The, uh, I was just- and, the door-” fumbles Lance, making various hand gestures which appear to have no connection to what he’s saying, “I’m here to see Keith Kogane.”

            “Well, if security let you past, then I guess you’re not a random psycho,” says the nurse, further opening the door. “But you’re acting like one.”

            Lance and his bruised ego walk past the nurse, who says something about Keith’s medication before leaving the room. Lance isn’t sure what exactly she said, because as he nears a sleeping Keith, his heart falls.

            Keith looks at peace in his sleep, Lance notices, which is a positive contradiction to the rest of Keith’s face, most notably his jaw. A large bandage covers what Lance assumes are stitches over a deep wound, which invades the majority of Keith’s jawbone. Keith’s chest slowly rises and falls in a gentle rhythm, in harmony with his resting, neutral face, and it’s enough to bring a sad smile to Lance’s face.

            “You’re too tough for your own good, buddy.”

            “Huh?” Keith mumbles, eyes fluttering open. “Lance?” His words are slightly slurred.

Lance flings backwards, all but catapulting himself away from the edge of the hospital bed.

_“K-Keith! You’re awake!” says Lance, awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck. “That’s good, that’s good. I was just, uh, making sure your pulse-beeping-machine was still, y’know, doing its job!"_

__

Keith blinks.

__

“A-and it’s, yeah, it- it is. Doing that. Working,” chatters Lance.

__

“You’re so weird,” mutters Keith, slurred again by the apparent gauze in his mouth. “What—?” Keith’s face contorts in confusion, making him wince in pain. Aggravated, Keith begins slowly pulling bloody gauze out of his mouth.

__

“Hey, whoa, whoa, whoa,” says Lance in a small panic, “Keith, Keith, don’t do that. Uh, I really don’t think you’re supposed- Oh, _gross!_ ”

__

Lance watches in disgust as Keith throws the bloody gauze to the ground, bringing his free hand up to feel the bandage across his own face.

__

“Keith. . .”

__

The look of realization sends Lance’s heart sinking yet again, but it only lasts for a short moment. Keith notices Lance’s lingering stare and scoffs.

__

“What are you looking at?” asks Keith through a scowl.

__

“I’m not the one who did that to your face,” says Lance.

__

“Why’re you here?” asks Keith, slowly leaning back. “Where’s. . . Shiro?”

__

“Oh, yeah, Shiro couldn’t make it,” says Lance.

__

Keith’s eyes widen in horror, “He’s dead?”

__

“WHAT-!?” sputters Lance. “No! No, no, no! No, Shiro’s- he’s _alive,_ he just couldn’t make it here today, so he made me promise to come check on you instead!”

__

“Oh. . .” says Keith, relaxing.

__

“Yeah. . .” Lance sighs, “Shiro’s fine, Keith.” He finally takes the chance to sit in the over-stuffed chair next to the bed.

__

“ _Made,_ ” mutters Keith, staring blankly at the ceiling.

__

“Huh?”

__

“He _made_ you promise, to come here.”

__

“Well, I didn’t mean it like--”

__

“No, it’s okay,” says Keith slowly, lightly petting the bandage on his face. “I’m okay, so. . . you can leave now, McClain.”

__

At first Lance only gazes, deeply confused at Keith’s sluggish and _mentally detached_ behavior, wondering if he should take his word and leave him be.

__

“Look, I promised Shiro I would check up on you, so. . . I don’t know, Keith, you seem really _off,_ I don’t think I should go if y--” Lance stops, noticing the childlike _frown_ on Keith’s face. Arms folded, he looks like the clock wound back ten years; _a pouting kid._

__

“I know you hate me, so I won’t make you stay,” spits Keith, followed by a stern _‘hmph,’_ but no way, Lance must be hallucinating at this point.

__

“Wh- Are you. . . okay?” asked Lance, on the verge of getting up to summon a nurse, or anyone who might be able to explain to him what _the hell_ is going on.

__

            Just as Lance is debating staying or going, in walks the nurse from before, who smiles sweetly and waves at Keith before deadpanning at the sight of Lance.

__

            “How are we feeling, huh? Better, right?” asks the nurse in a sing-song voice, chipperly tugging at the edges of the bedsheet to straighten it out.

__

            Keith smiles, shockingly pleasant, and unfolds his arms to move them out of the way, “Hmm!” he hums. The nurse gently guides Keith’s jaw upward with the pad of her index finger, leaning forward to inspect closer.

__

Keith’s demeanor quickly changes when he sees Lance’s face.

__

His eyes flutter shut, leaning into the nurse’s touch with a _barely noticeable_ smirk of triumph on his lips.

__

            Envy flares up in Lance’s core, making him painfully self-aware and self-conscious.

__

            “Say _ah,_ ” says the nurse. Keith’s eyes open slightly, just enough to give Lance a provocative glare.

__

_Who is the envy toward?_

__

“He took his gauze out!” Lance exclaims as he bursts out of his seat, face burning red. “It- it’s on the floor, I. . . couldn’t stop him from doing it. But he’s fine so, that’s all good. Right. . .?” Keith leans back into the hospital bed as the nurse faces Lance, expression turned to stone.

__

            “Will you be looking after him tonight?” she asks, annoyed.

__

            “Yes,” says Lance. “Well, wait, no. I mean, I’m looking after him until Shiro is able to come and-- Is- Is he being discharged tonight?” asks Lance.

__

            “Yes,” says the nurse, arms folded.

__

            “Oh,” says Lance. “I, uh, didn’t know that.”

__

            “Look, kid, whatever the situation, visiting hours end at 7:00.”

__

            Lance blinks.

__

            “And it’s _6:30._ ” Says the nurse.

__

            Again, Lance blinks. And shrugs. Keith yawns, outstretching, unintentionally rattling the IV stand next to him. The metallic _clang_ scares Keith, who flinches, and Lance lets a giggle escape him.

__

            “Oh, so it’s a joke to you?” asks the nurse loudly.

__

            “No! No, that’s not—” begins Lance, stifling a smirk at Keith’s loopy behavior.

__

            “So it’s funny that your _friend’s_ health insurance doesn’t cover an overnight? And letting him dig around in his mouth while he’s heavily medicated – that must be _hilarious,_ right? He could have seriously injured himself!”

__

            Lance sobers. “. . . I understand.”

__

He looks at the floor, and then Keith, who is absentmindedly playing with the bandage tape on his face. The nurse gently tells Keith not to do that, and Keith laughs goofily. Apparently Keith already forgets what just transpired. Monotonously, the nurse tells Lance how to get to the front desk to check out before giving one last disapproving look and leaving the room. Lance sighs.

__

            “You’ve gotta get dressed now, Keith,” says Lance. “Can you do that by yourself?”

__

            “Duh,” says Keith dismissively, slowly shifting into an upright position. “I was born yesterday, Lance.”

__

            “I think you mean y—never mind,” says Lance, smiling.

__

            And _no,_ Keith _cannot_ get dressed by himself. Lance tries to catch a nurse’s attention, but to no avail. Keith, combative and uncoordinated, tries leaving the hospital room in his loosely-tied robes – Lance has to awkwardly barricade him from leaving, for both their sakes. Keith ends up losing his inner fire, only for a moment, where he leans on Lance and almost gives into his warmth. Lance’s face is _crimson_ at this point, with a half-naked Keith in his arms, but it doesn’t stop him from assisting Keith back to the edge of the bed. When Lance helps him down, Keith smiles sheepishly, slowly pulling his robes off. Lance’s eyes widen as he mumbles a string of “ _no, no, no, no”’s_ , desperately throwing the robe back at Keith and searching the room for his clothing. After that, nothing too exciting happens until they make it to the realm beyond the doorway.

__

            Getting Keith out to the car is a bit of a hassle. He’s extremely teeter-y, and his sense of direction is skewed at the very least. His memory is. . . questionable, as every time they come to a stop, Keith looks around as if he doesn’t know where he is, then smiles at the sight of Lance’s face. Lance manages to get a wheel chair to bring Keith out to the car, because the concerned looks from hospital staff are extremely annoying, and they make Keith _anxious,_ which is apparently possible. Lance is learning a lot about Keith today.

__

            At the car, Lance helps Keith into the passenger seat.

__

            “Okay, okay,” Lance exhales. “Stay here, I’ll be right—”

__

            “Where’re you going?” asks Keith through a pout.

__

            “Uh. . . To bring the wheelchair back, buddy, remember? The wheelchair you were just sitting in.”

__

            “Oh,” says Keith, slowly processing.

__

            “Yeah, so. . .” says Lance, “I’ll be right back. Don’t- _Do not_ get out of the car, okay? You’ll probably fall down.”

__

            Keith stares blankly at the dash board as Lance gently shuts the door, practically _running_ to the hospital entrance and back. His phone rings, which he almost drops in the street, before answering.

__

            “Hey, Allura!” says Lance.

__

            _“Hello. . . Lance? Why are you so out of breath?”_ asks Allura. _“Is everything all right?”_

__

            “Yeah, yeah, no sweat. Just leaving now.”

__

            _“How’s Keith feeling?”_ she asks.

__

            “Well, he’s- y’know, he’s all loopy and stuff. From the medicine, I guess. But he has clothes on now, so that’s a huge upgrade,” says Lance, turning red once again.

__

            _“He_ what?”

__

            “HAHA, YEAH,” says Lance, way too loudly. “So, Keith’s great! I mean, not his face. Not that- Well, his face is still nice- I mean, THE SAME! It’s slightly different, but battle scars, right? Scars are cool.” Lance pinches the bridge of his nose in distress.

__

            _“Right. . .”_ says Allura. _“But, Lance?”_

__

“Yeah?”

__

            _“Where’s Keith_ now?”

__

            “Oh, don’t worry,” says Lance, “he’s in the car. I’m walking there right now; had to put the wheelchair back.”

__

            _“You left him alone in the car? Are you sure he’s all right?”_

__

“Allura, it’s been, like, ten seconds. He’s probably-“

__

            _“Lance? Are you there?”_

__

            “Keith?” Lance asks the evening air, now running toward his car, his phone parallel to his waist in his hand. _“Keith!”_

__

            _“Lance? Lance, what’s going on? Lance, answer me!”_

__

Lance stares in horror at the empty passenger seat.

__

“Keith! Where’d you go!?” Lance calls out, drawing unwanted attention. He nears the door, swings it open, and sighs, leaning his head on the edge of the door frame.

__

In the back seat, sprawled out, lays Keith, asleep. Lance’s phone is practically exploding with concerned shouts from Allura. He brings the phone to his ear.

__

“Sorry, Allura, everything’s fine—” he begins before ripping the phone away from his ear, keeping it a safe distance from Allura’s furious screams.

__

_“Have you lost your mind!? Leaving poor Keith_ alone _in an unfamiliar place like that!? He’s incapacitated, Lance! Have some sense!”_

__

Once it’s safe to do so, Lance brings the phone to his ear once again, muttering a million apologies and finally saying goodbye. He looks down at Keith, who’s still sound asleep, and sighs.

__

“What the hell am I gonna do with you, Kogane?”

__

**Author's Note:**

> sorry this is shitty and abrupt lol  
> i miss klance :(
> 
> curiouscat.me/kogain


End file.
